Author Archives: Wade

Ludlow Brothers Ltd.

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Birmingham based company that was listed in the 1930 and 1938 commercial directories as Ludlow Bros (1913) Ltd., galvanized holloware manufacturers, Western Road, telephone number MITcham 0848. Listed as Ludlow Bros. Ltd. in the 1954 telephone book.

Note that ‘Hollow-ware’ refers to buckets etc.

A credit note offered for sale on eBay, dated 1943, shows its address as 132 Western Road, which was part of the former Holborn Union workhouse at the corner of Bond Road. The site today is occupied by Asda.

credit note extract Ludlow Bros dated February 1943

According to Graces Guide to British Industrial History, the company was founded privately in 1868 and became public in 1913, hence that year in its name in the directories. At the time of the credit note, the ‘1913’ was typed over, suggesting that the company name had changed but stationery hadn’t yet been changed.

Birmingham Daily Post – Friday 14 June 1940

BOUND AND GAGGED IN HIS OFFICE Two men, one armed with a pistol, on Wednesday night entered the warehouse in Western Road, Mitcham, of Messrs. Ludlow Bros. (1913), Ltd., of Birmingham, and bound and gagged the firm’s London manager, Mr. F. J. Hutton, after forcing him to open the safe. They then made off with £15. Mr. Hutton, who lives at Maybury Street, Tooting, said yesterday: “I was seated in my office alone when the two men came in. One of them pointed a revolver at me, holding it at his hip, and said, ‘These things are liable to go off.’ “They commanded me to open the safe, and one of the men bound and gagged me with a serviette while the other took the money. I was struck from behind. One of the men had a handkerchief tied over the lower part of his face. I recognised one of them. He was a man I had seen before in the course of business.” Mr. Hutton, who was tied hand and foot, managed to free himself and inform the police, who took possession of the pistol and the serviette which the bandits left behind.

1929 : Funeral of Mr J.G. Guyatt

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From the Mitcham Advertiser and Surrey County Report, 14th March, 1929, page 1.

Mr J.G. Guyatt.

Funeral of a Well Known
Contractor.

The funeral of Mr JG Guyatt, the well-known contractor of Mitcham and Brixton, who died suddenly last week at his Mitcham home, Grove Lodge, Sutton Road, at the age of 75, took place on Saturday morning.

Mr Guyatt was one of the largest cartage contractors in the London area and at one time owned over 100 horses and carts. Of late years motor lorries largely displaced the horse-drawn vehicle, but Mr Guyatt retained his love of horses to the end. It was fitting that his funeral procession should be of the old-fashioned horse-drawn kind.

The first part of the service was held in the Wesleyan Mission Church, Fair Green. It was conducted by the minister, the Rev. A. Denman Martin, who also officiated at the graveside.

Mrs Guyatt, who died two years ago, and her daughters were formerly active members of the Mission, and Mrs Parks, the younger daughter, was a member of the choir and a soloist. Before coming to Mitcham seventeen years ago the family worshipped at Brixton Hill Wesleyan church.

Mr Guyatt, who took no active part in Mitcham public affairs, succeeded to the business founded by his father and extended it enormously. He owned several gravel pits in Mitcham and was a contractor to many local bodies. His chief interest outside his business was his old-world garden at the rear of the house. He was the eldest of twelve children, ten of whom survive him. His own family consists of two sons and two daughters. The business will be carried on by the elder son. The younger one, Mr Frank Guyatt, has a separate motor transport business.

Mr Guyatt, who had not quite recovered from a serious illness, which left his heart in a weak state, was at work as usual on Monday last week, the day before his death. He collapsed at breakfast time and passed away in a quarter of an hour, to the sincere regret to all who knew him or had business relations with him.

Mr Nicholls, the organist, played “Oh Rest in the Lord” as the funeral procession entered into the church and later the Funeral March. The hymn sung was “Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand”.

The mourners were Mr JG Guyatt and Mr Frank Guyatt (sons); Mrs SE Crabb and Mrs H Parks (daughters); Mr W Guyatt, Mr L Guyatt, Mr John Guyatt, Mrs Howes and Mrs Priest (brothers and sisters).

Others present were Mrs JG Guyatt, Mrs Frank Guyatt, Mr and Mrs JG Guyatt, junior; Mrs John Guyatt, Miss Herbert and Mrs W Guyatt, junior; Mr C Guyatt, Miss L Guyatt, Mr E Guyatt, Miss Priest, Mr Howes, Mr Rickard, Mr Priest, Mrs Calver and Mr Robert Parks.

The beautiful floral tributes included wreaths from all the aforementioned families and from Dr Shelswell, Mr Rawlings, Eastfields Pit, the workpeople at Eastfields, Mitcham yard, motor department (Brixton Hill), horse department, Mr and Mrs Arthur Beard, Mr and Mrs Thatcher, Mrs G T Hodges and family, Mr and Mrs Cramp and family, Mr Walter Clarkson and family, Mr H Clarkson and Sons, Mr Wells (Eastfields), Mr and Mrs P Bell, Mr and Mrs J Ellis, Mr and Mrs John Gillett, Mr and Mrs J Emmerton, Mr William Priest, Volan and Trigg (George Neal and Sons), Mr Nathan Guyatt, Mrs Collins, Mr and Mrs Halliday, Mr Moon, Mr and Mrs Bruce Thompson, Mr John Cronk and family, Mr and Mrs George Thompson and family, Mrs Shepherd, Mrs Allen and Mrs Johnson.